Leaf cactus

German Empress, an old, relatively well-known leaf cactus, which may not be a variety but the species Disocactus phyllanthoides .

The colloquial collective term "leaf cacti" (formerly also phyllocacti ) describes a number of cacti of various genera , including Disocactus , Epiphyllum , Hatiora , Lepismium , Rhipsalis , Selenicereus , Schlumbergera . The term is also used for hybrids of these and other species. Almost all species known as leaf cacti live epiphytically on other plants. Their outward resemblance led them to be thought of as a closed group. The name goes back to the old, no longer valid generic name Phyllocactus (Eng. "Leaf cactus"). Today the species are classified in the botanical systematics in different genera, especially Epiphyllum and Disocactus . However, this does not play a major role in the trade or with enthusiasts, as the hybrids and varieties in particular are maintained and traded. These are often less demanding than the wild species. And while the species of the genus Epiphyllum, for example, are all night bloomers, almost all of the traded varieties bloom during the day.

Appearance

Nameless Epiphyllum hybrids with very large flowers (almost 20 cm in diameter)

Flowering cutting of Rhipsalis pilocarpa , a species with thin, round sprouts

Leaf cacti are usually characterized by strongly flattened, chlorophyll-containing shoots , so-called platycladia ( Epiphyllum , Disocactus , Schlumbergera ), which can give laypeople the impression that they are leaves . However, just like the shoots of most other cacti, they only have delicate flakes of flakes as young shoots , which usually disappear quickly. There are often thorns at the attachment points of the leaflets, but these are rarely longer than a few millimeters and are as fine and soft as hair , at best bristles . These too often fall off soon. Some cultivars that involve species from other genera have small, painfully stinging thorns.

A few species have thin round or angular stem-like shoots. These include mainly representatives of the genus Rhipsalis .

Notoriety

While the Christmas cacti, hybrids and varieties of the genus Schlumbergera and Easter cacti, varieties of the genus Hatiora (formerly Rhipsalidopsis ), are generally known and regularly available in the trade as popular potted plants, the countless hybrids of the larger species (especially the genus Epiphyllum ) are commercially available a shadowy existence, although they are among the most impressive bloomers with flowers with diameters up to 20 centimeters. This is partly due to the fact that these varieties can grow very large and expansive (depending on their age, diameters of up to 2 meters are not uncommon) and, above all, they bloom abundantly when they rest in winter at temperatures around 10 ° C up to 15 ° C, which is difficult to offer in centrally heated and thermally insulated buildings.

Some older varieties, such as the so-called "Schusterkaktus" (several early hybrids of Disocactus ackermannii are popularly known as that), are still somewhat widespread and are usually passed on as cuttings. This is very easy with leaf cacti, because you can simply send freshly cut pieces of shoot in an (preferably padded) envelope. They last for months like this. Even shoot cuttings that have remained unnoticed for up to a year can be rooted and made to grow with a little care . Breeders, on the other hand, are not only concerned with mere propagation, but above all with the development of new varieties with special flowers or more compact growth.

breed

Leaf cactus cultivation began in Germany with the Saxon gardener Johannes Nikolai (1860–1901) from Mittweida , Saxony . In the first half of the 20th century, the Saxon gardener Curt Knebel (1871–1954) from Erlau was one of the best known breeders of leaf cacti. His book “Phyllokakteen” is still considered a standard work by many friends of leaf cacti. Numerous varieties from his breeding are still popular today and are used by breeders as starting material. Today, the goal of many breeders is not just to achieve new flower colors, shapes and sizes. Fragrant flowers are also a goal of the breeding work. And especially with the large-flowered varieties, some breeders try to get plants with more compact growing sprouts, which then have just as large flowers.

Wild species are kept and bred much less often than the varieties. On the one hand, this is due to the somewhat greater sensitivity, but also to the fact that often only a few specimens have ever been imported from the countries of origin in Central and South America and many of the species are not self-fertile , so that seeds from these species can be obtained , Must have plants whose genetic makeup is not identical. Some species may have only a single captive clone known.

Varieties (selection)

The breeder in brackets (if known).

German Empress - possibly identical to the botanical species Disocactus phyllanthoides
Ackermannii - after the botanical species Epiphyllum ackermannii ; was held for this for a long time
Siegfried (Curt Knebel)
Knebel's Dickchen (Curt Knebel)
Celestial Eye (Curt Knebel)
Queen Ann
Pegasus
Spring splendor

swell

Curt Knebel: Phyllocacti. A book about growing and caring for beautiful flowers . Eduard Stichnote, Potsdam 1951.

Web links

Commons : Leaf Cactus - Collection of images, videos and audio files